Feeder for envelope machines



June 2, 1931. H. s. LABOMBARDE FEEDER FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES Original Filed Nov. 5, 1927 Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

HAROLD S. LABOMBARDE, OF NASI-IUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERr- NATIONAL PAPER BOX. MACHINE COMPANY, OF NASHU'A, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A COR- I IPORATION OF MAINE FEE-DER FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES Original application filed November 3,1927, Serial No. 230,746. Divided and this application filed July This invention relates to mechanism for feeding blanks singly and successively to other mechanism which treats the blanks, as by folding them, and the invention has par ticular reference to feeders for envelope machines of the type illustrated and claimed in my application filed November 3, 1927, Serial No. 230,746, of which the present application is a division.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide improved means for ensuring accurate feeding of the blanks, and I attain this object by employing four pin-carrying chains for properly alining the blanks, which chains are relatively adjustable so that the rear edge of each blank will be so engaged by four pins, regardless of the shape of said rear edge, that the blank will be pushed along in proper alinement for accurate operation of the creasers and folders, no matter how thin or thick the blanks are.

Another object is to provide means for frictionally holding the blanks back against the alining chain-pins, to aid in ensuring r proper alinement of the blanks.

Another object is to ensure the passage of the blanks between the nipper rolls which efi'ect proper travel of the blanks, without liability of even the thinnest of them flexing around said rolls instead of travelling perfectly fiat.

With the above stated objects in view, and others which will be explained, the invention consists in the mechanism and in the construction and combination of parts thereof, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Ofthe accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the feeding mechanism.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail view, looking toward the left from the line 33 of Figure 1. I

Figure 4 represents a section on line 4-4: of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail elevation looking from the line 55, Figure 1.

Figures 6 and 7 are detail side and edge views of the sprocket adjustment hereinafter described.

Serial No. 296,186.

Similar reference 7 characters designate similar parts or features in all of the views. At one end of the frame 20 of the machine is a combing wheel 21 carried by shaft 22,

said wheel feeding the blanks successively by the combing wheel is deposited on' the chains in front of the four pinsthereof.

Each of the two outer carriages 27 is con nected to an inner carriage by one or more screws 31 (Fig. 1) whereby lateral adjustment may be effected to cause the chain pins, especially the pins 30, to properly engage the blanks. This is of particular importance when the blanks have angular corner recesses, which recesses are present in nearly all envelope blanks. The term pins is employed as a short generic word to apply to any kind of projection adapted to push the blanks along.

Screws 32, mounted in the side members of the frame, engage the carriages of both the inner and outer chains to enable the two frames of each pair to be simultaneously adj usted laterallyfor different sizes of blanks. That is, the two screws 32 at either side may be operated to simultaneously adjust the right-hand or the left-hand pair of pincarrying chains, while the screws 31 may be operated to vary the distance between the fio 28 so that the four pins which are to engage the rear edge of a blank of a selected shape may be so relatively positioned that all four of said pins will properly and simultaneously engage said edge in the correct loca: tions necessary to ensure that the blanks will not be pushed along askew. To effect this adjustment of" the said sprocket-s (see Figs.

6 and 7') the shaft 26 has two worm-wheels 34' splined thereon, and each worm-wheel has a collar 35 surrounding it, a sprocket 36ffor a chain 29 being fixed to or integral with said collar. Mounted in the collar is a worm 37 engaging the worm-wheel 34' andlhaving a portion 38 to be engaged by a wrench whereby the collar and its sprocket may be-adjusted rotatively on the shaft. By this means either of thechains 29 can be adj usted to advance or set back its pins 30 relatively to'the pins 30" ofthe'inner chains28, in order to-elfect accurate engagement of the four pins with the blanks. In other words. the mechanism described provides for adjusting two of the chains relatively to the other two in the direction of travel of the chains and blanks.

Each blank advanced by the pin-carrying chains is delivered to a pair of driven nipper rolls 39, 40, (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) which are circumferentially grooved. Secured to transverse-fixed bars 41,42, are guides or de flector strips 43 extending into and partly beyond the grooves of the rolls 39, 40, to guide the-blanks, especially thin ones, and prevent them from flexing around the rolls. Said strips ensure flat straight delivery of the blanks'to the scorers 44 which are, as is customary, laterally adjustable simultane: ously with adjustment of the usual folding mechanism when blanks of different widths are to be'operated upon.

The blanks are carried by upper and lower belts over a glue disk 64 (Fig.1) rotating 'in a glue box 63and carried by a shaft 653 The two lower belts 45' are mounted atone end on pulleys 46 (Fig. 2) carried by shaft 47. The two upper belts 50, which are-much shorter than the lower belts, are mounted at one end on pulleys 51 carried by shaft 52 (Figs. 1' and 2), and at the other end on pulleys 53 carriedby idle stud shafts 54. Upper and lower cages 55 support rolls (Fig. 2) for maintaining. the carrier belts in operative proximity. Suitably supportedinclined bars 56 (Fig. 1) effect'preliminary folding of the side portions of the blanks,

From the carrier belts the partially folded rsoant blanks pass between a pair of side belts 57 and are acted upon by'twist belts 58 which,

at one end, are mounted on pulleys 59. The

carrying and folding elementsjust referred toare wellknown and are illustrated, for example, in Letters Patent No. 960,348

granted June 7, 1910, and do not require a further description herein.

Reference has beenm'ad'e to one of the objects of the invention being to frictionally hold the blanks back against the chain ins which advance them. This is accomplis ied by meansor devices illustrated by Figure 5;

in connection with Figure 1. Supported by the tie rods 25 (Figs. 1 and 2), at one side of the guide strip 33', is a vertical strip: 1 64:

(Fig. ,5) in which studs-165, having slits 166- are rotatively mounted; Secured in the slits I66 arespring fingers 167 which bear on-theblanks that arebeing pushed along theg'uide':

strip33by the chain pins and exert sufiicient,

of the spring retarders-167'on the blanks being pushed alongthe'strip33;

The operations of the several parts of themecl'ianism having been explained in connection with the: descriptions of'the structure thereof, description of the machine as a whole-1s unnecessary.

claim: r

f 1. feeder foridelivering blanks toblanktreating mechanism in accurate alinement,

said feeder including-four pin carriers and means for laterally adjusting; said carriers relatively to=each other;

y 2; ,A feeder for delivering blanks to blanl rtreating mechanism in accurate alinement, said feeder including four pin carriers and means for simultaneously laterally adjusting either the right-hand or the left-hand pair oflpin carriers. r -f v 3; A feeder fordelivering blankst'o blank treating mechanismin accurate alinement, said feeder including four endless pin carriers, means for' adjusting the. inner and outer carriers relatively toeach other, and means for simultaneously adjusting either the right-hand or the left-hand pair of carriers laterally. I r

4. feederfor deliveringbl'anks to blanktreating; mechanism in accurate alinement, said feeder including" four endlesspin-car riers, means for laterally adjusting saidcarriers relatively to each other, and means for adjusting two of saidcarriers relativelyto the other two in the-direction of travel of the" saidtcarriers. v 5. feederfbr delivering! blanks to blank treating mechanism in accurate alinement,

Having'now described my invention, I

said feeder including four endless pin-carriers, and means for laterally adjusting said carriers relatively to each other, the driving sprockets for two of said carries being rotatively adjustable on their shafts whereby said two carriers may be adjusted relatively to the other two in the direction of their travel.

6. A blank feeding mechanism having four endless pin carriers for the blanks, side guides to prevent lateral movement of the blanks while travelling with said carriers, and means for laterall adjusting either the right-hand or the leftand pair of carriers.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

HAROLD LABOMBARDE. 

